Show notes
Talking to Your Kids About Sex and Gender Without Fear | A Christian Parent's Guide Host Michelle Barnett welcomes Amber Garrett Carroll, vice president of the Nashville nonprofit Equip and author of Ready to Talk: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Gender and Sexuality, to discuss how Christian parents can talk with kids about sex, sexuality, and gender without fear while staying rooted in historic Christian sexual ethics. Amber explains why parents are primary disciplers, outlines a biblical framework of intimacy within lifelong family through marriage or vocational singleness, and distinguishes temptation, sin, and brokenness, urging sexual stewardship and avoiding shame. They address identity language, assumptions about marriage and attraction, and practical guidance for starting early with age-appropriate conversations, including screen safety and pornography preparation. Amber offers counsel for responding to children disclosing same-sex attraction or gender incongruence, navigating pronouns with discernment, preserving relationships, and prioritizing the gospel, and shares a mom hack: use short car rides for hard conversations.00:00 Welcome to Mommin Together00:31 Why This Topic Matters02:10 Meet Amber and Her Mission04:42 Pain to Purpose Story06:53 Parents as Disciplers09:15 Gods Design for Intimacy15:30 Temptation Sin and Brokenness22:15 Identity and Language Nuance30:39 Fearless Conversations at Home32:22 Do It Scared33:08 Many Talks Not One34:48 Start Young Foundations35:46 Screen Safety Basics37:09 Porn Talks By Eight38:49 Puberty Curiosity Guidance40:37 Homes Without Shame41:10 Drop Hidden Assumptions44:46 Praying Without Idolatry47:24 Talking LGBT With Grace49:27 Beyond Language Debates52:18 Pronouns As Hospitality53:52 Trans Culture Context56:34 No Blanket Answer58:34 Mirroring Example Story01:01:26 Discernment By Relationship01:03:04 Jesus And The Outcast01:03:41 Truth Versus Lying01:04:18 Pronoun Compromises01:06:33 Parenting LGBT Disclosures01:09:06 Dos and Dont's List01:13:19 Language and New Terms01:15:40 Avoid Forced Choices01:18:04 Guidance for Trans Kids01:23:13 Adult Trans Child Repair01:30:05 Resources and Book Info01:33:09 Car Ride Mom Hack01:35:53 Final EncouragementConnect with Amber: Amber Garrett Carroll is the Vice President of Impact and Parent Resources at Equip, where she helps Christian parents and churches disciple kids according to God’s wisdom for sex, sexuality, and gender. She is the creator of Equip’s comprehensive Parent Course, an eight-hour video curriculum featuring more than 50 age-specific conversation scripts to help families navigate today’s cultural questions with biblical clarity.A former middle and high school teacher, Amber has spent nearly a decade researching, writing, and teaching on sexual stewardship, gender, pornography, and Christian formation. She regularly speaks for churches and national ministries on equipping parents for proactive discipleship, and she is the author of Ready to Talk: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Gender & Sexuality.Amber lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her two children.Social media:@AmberGarrettCarroll on InstagramAmber Garrett Carroll on FacebookWebsite:ambergarrettcarroll.comBook: Available at ambergarrettcarroll.com/shopPaperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX5GRPQ1Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBTYCRRSFreebies:Parents can check out https://ambergarrettcarroll.com/parent-prep-pack-downloads/ for free resources, including a book discount code, bonus conversation starters, and a free video teaching.Connect with Michelle:Mommin’ Together Instagram: @Mommin_Together Michelle Barnett InstagramJoin our Mommin’ Together Facebook CommunityPodcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mommin-together/id1787094979Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hn6cFLziITGVFuSXiI4ty?si=6c7abc0f099f4230